A brutal warlord is forming four new battalions in order to bolster Vladimir Putin's war effort.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has already sent 8,172 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine - but says a wave of patriotism is leading to an influx of volunteers.
Each new Chechen battalion will have up to 950 fighters, and he said the troops are needed to "replenish" the armed forces, possibly an acknowledgement of war losses.
“The desire to form new battalions with fully equipped personnel stems from an extremely patriotic mood among the youth of the region,” said the Putin ally.
“The number of people wishing to defend the Motherland is growing exponentially, and our task is to provide them with such an opportunity.”
Kadyrov, 45, who holds the rank of lieutenant-general in the Russian national guard, said: “The military contingent will include only Chechen men.
“They will replenish the composition of the troops of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.”
Kadyrov - iron-fisted ruler of oil-rich Chechnya - is part of a hardline grouping around Putin pressing him to fully invade Ukraine.
Father-of-twelve Kadyrov called his recruits “the best sons of the Motherland, desperate and brave, ready at any moment to move to the ends of the world at the mere call.
“They are waiting for the order, and this is their goal - to protect their native land when it needs it.”
He said “there is no greater honour for a man than to live and die with the thought that you are part of a single big brotherhood, ready to eliminate any threat”.
